Multi-colored glass fiber fabrics



Jan. 7, 1964 R. c. HORTON 3,117,052

MULTI-COLORED GLASS FIBER FABRICS Original Filed Dec. 3, 1958 Weave 8e1- Owe INVENTOR. AIc/IA D C. Hogrcw United States Patent 3,117,052 MULTI-COLORED GLASS FIBER FABRICS Richard C. Horton, Hartsdale, N.Y., assignor to J. P. Stevens & Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Original application Dec. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 777,898, now Patent No. 3,060,549, dated Oct. 30, 1962. Divided and this application Jan. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 173,602

4 Claims. (Cl. 161-93) The present invention relates generally to multi-colored fabrics, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for imparting different color and color tone effects to fabrics formed of fiber glass.

This application is a divisional application of Serial No. 777,898, now US. Patent No. 3,060,549, and benefit is hereby claimed for the filing date of said application, December 3, 1958.

Increasing use is being made of fibrous glass yarns in the manufacture of fabrics intended for curtains, draperies, shower curtains and in many other household app lications. Such fabrics have decided advantages over conventional materials, for they need no ironing, cannot shrink and do not burn. Moreover, fiber glass fabrics are readily washed, are stain-resistant and drape Well.

The decorative possibilities of glass fiber fabrics have heretofore been distinctly limited as to color, texture and pattern. Accordingly, it is the principal object of the invention to impart new and dramatic decorative dimensions to fiber glass fabrics without detracting from any of the basic features of glass fiber and without resorting to printing systems.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a method for producing decorative fiber glass fabrics having multiple color and color tone effects as well as varied texture and pattern combinations. A significant feature of the invention resides in the fact that it is possible to produce a large spectrum of color combinations ranging from pastels to deep tones, and to achieve salt and pepper motifs, herringbone tweed and plaid effects, ribs and horizontal stripes.

Briefiy stated, these objects are attained by the resinpigment dyeing of a fibrous glass fabric woven or otherwise fabricated from mixed fibrous glass yarns having different surface characteristics resulting from either chemical or mechanical modification of the yarn properties. The multi-color or shade effects arise from the differences in receptivity of the various fibrous glass surfaces in the fabric to the applied pigment.

This difference in color or shade within the fabric can be controlled by careful adjustment of such factors as wetting, pH, pigment particle size, and the type of resin in the resin-pigment dyeing baths. It can also be controlled by the number of colors or shades of resin-pigment bath the fabric is passed through, and by the degree of surface variation of the fibrous glass yarns in the fabric.

For a better understanding of the invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is had to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, the single FIGURE schematically shows a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the method in accordance with the invention.

3,117,052 Patented Jan. 7, 1964 '3 ICE The invention is based on the use of a glass fiber fabric of the mixed yarn type. Glass yarns are presently available which are constituted by continuous filaments having a smooth surface or by filaments which have been texturized or bulked. Also available are staple glass fiber yarns, spun yarns, boucle or loop yarns and crimped yarns. These yarns differ in their appearance and texture but more importantly from the standpoint of the present invention, they differ in their capillarity or receptivity to pigment-resin systems. Thus the fabric to be decoratively finished is formed by weaving or otherwise interconnecting fibrous glass yarns using two or more yarns of different capillarity in the warp or fill direction. Because of the diversity of yarn surfaces available in glass fibers, a large range of yarn combinations is possible within the scope of the invention.

The first operation in the continuous finishing of the fiber glass fabric is the removal of any organic material on the glass. Most textile glass fabrics are coated with a lubricant and binding agent which is applied as the glass fiber is being produced. A typical treatment, often referred to as the starch-oil size or binder, is necessary to protect the glass fiber during throwing, beaming, quilling, twisting 0r weaving. The starch used may be of any of the starches familiar to the textile technologist and may include slightly hydrolyzed or dextrinized starches. The oil in the starch-oil binder is generally a lubricating oil of vegetable origin, such as castor, hydrogenated cottonseed, olive, or coconut. In addition to these primary components, the binder may contain in extremely small amounts, one or more substances such as gelatine, borax, polyvinyl alcohol, cationic surface active materials, and dispersing agents. This size is applied to the glass fiber by the yarn producer as the fiber is being formed. These organic solids which must be removed range from 0.5 percent to 4.0 percent on commercial glass yarns with the starch-oil size. In addition to the sizing applied by the yarn producer, any additional organic materials such as warp sizings or oils put on by the weaver must be completely removed.

As shown in the drawing, the greige fabric taken from an unwinder roll 10 ispassed through an oven 11 operating at about 1200 degrees Fahrenheit into which air or oxygen is bled carefully, at such arate that the organic material is ignited and completely burned from the glass. The high heat of the combustion process softens and relaxes the glass, setting the glass yarn permanently in the configuration of the weave. This crimping effect, the most important feature of the heat treating process, results in a wrinkle-proof glass fabric. As the glass comes out of the heat cleaning oven 11, it is completely devoid of inter-fiber protection. A protective coating must be applied at once.

The fabric from which the size has been removed is then fed through a first padder 12 in which the fabric passes through a bath of water soluble or dispersible resins, pigments, plasticizers, softeners and water-repellants. The pick-up of the resin pigment dye varies as a result of selective capillarity of the various yarn from in the fabric. This results in a finish with two or more shades of the color of the bath. Thus the fabric may exhibit a light tone on the relatively smooth yarn surfaces and a deeper or richer tone of the same color on the yarns having a hairier and more absorbent surface.

From the first padder 12 the fabric is fed through a first curing oven 13-operating at about 320 Fahrenheit, the heat acting to curethe resinon the cloth.- 1

If it is desired to impart additional color efiects to th fabric, it is conveyed from the first curing oven into a second padder 14 containing a bath with a different pigment Whose color is combined with the color introduced in the first padder to produce multi-hued effects and the fabric is again cured in curing oven 15 from which it is rolled on a winder 16.

The water-repellant treatment may be carried out separately from the application "of the finish in the first padder, in which event the water-repellant is applied in the second padder.

Example I A glass fiber fabric, composed of mixed yarns such as boucle and bulk yarn, is passed through a first bath having the following composition:

(a) 40% water dispersion-8V2 qts. Hycar PA 450 (polyacrylonitrite) t (b) 30% water dispersion6 qts. Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) (c) 4 qts. Syton DS (colloidal silica) (d) Dyestuffs as required (2) Add Water to the above until a 50 gallon solution is obtained.

After the resin-pigment system has been padded on the fabric and cured, the fabric is then. passed through a terial dispersed by means of emulsifying agents in the water solution containing the resin or binder, the resinanchoring the pigment to the fiber. Among the pigments which may be used are azo coloring matter, nit'roso dyes, vat dyes in the oxidized state andphthalocyanine blue I and green. Inorganic pigments may be used such as precipitated iron oxide and ultramarine blue.

The resultant composition in the dried film state is,

in percent by weight, as follows:

Percent Polyacrylonitrile 35 Polytetrafluoroethylene 35 Colloidal silica 1S Pigment 15 Additions to this formulation might also include polyethylene and silicone softeners.

Example 11 g The formulation of the bath is as follows: (a) 40% dispersion-9 tits. Hycar PA 4501 4 (b) 30% dispersion2 qts. Syton DS (0) 12 oz. ammonia 26- Baum (d) Dyestuff as required (e) Water added to provide 50 gallons in tank In the event a non-ionic dispersion is used, the waterrepellant (2% Quilon S) may be added directly to the above, omitting the ammonia.

The dyed fabric employing the formulation of this eX- ample exhibited a multi-colored effect.

While there has been shown what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be manifest that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing'from the essential spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, in the 'annexed claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: F

1. A decorative fabric comprising a woven glass fabric constituted of a mixed combination of glass fiber yarns in the warp and fill direction selected from the group consisting of continuous filament yarns, staple yarns, loop yarns and texturized yarns, and at least one pigmentcoating on said mixed yarns, said mixed yarns differing in capillarity whereby the degree of pigment absorption varies to produce multi-color effects.

2. A decorative fabric comprising a woven glass fabric constituted of a mixed combination of at least two glass fiber yarns in the warp and fill direction selected from the group consisting of continuous filament yarns, staple yarns, loop yarns and textured yarns, and at least one resin-pigment film on said mixed yarns, said mixed yarns differing in capillarity whereby the degree of pigment absorption varies to produce multi-coloreffects.

3. A decorative fabric comprising a glass fabric constituted of a mixed combination of at least two glass fiber yarns selected from the group consisting of continuous filament yarns, staple yarns, loop yarns and texturizedyarns, and a resin-pigment film formed on said mixedv yarns, said mixed yarns differing in capillarity whereby the degree of pigment absorption varies to produce multi-color effects, said film comprising in percent byweight about 35% polyacylonitrite, 35% polytetrafiuoroethylene, 15% colloidal silica and 15% pigment. 4. A decorative fabric comprisng mixed fiber glass yarns selected from the group consisting of continuous filament yarns, staple yarns, loop yarns and texturized yarns, and at least one pigment coating on said mixed yarns, said mixed yarns differing in capillarity whereby the degree of pigment absorption varies to produce multicolor effects.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 484,080 Zillesson Oct. 11, 1892 1,629,770 Watson May 24, 1927 2,455,802 Pfelfer Dec. 7, 1948 2,507,561 Dreyfus et al. May 16, 1950 2,913,801 Kessler et al. Nov. 24, 1959 

1. A DECORATIVE FABRIC COMPRISING A WOVEN GLASS FABRIC CONSTITUTED OF A MIXED COMBINATION OF GLASS FIBER YARNS IN THE WARP AND FILL DIRECTION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARNS, STAPLE YARNS, LOOP YARNS AND TEXTURIZED YARNS, AND AT LEAST ONE PIGMENT COATING ON SAID MIXED YARNS, SAID MIXED YARNS DIFFERING IN CAPILLARITY WHEREBY THE DEGREE OF PIGMENT ABSORPTION VARIES TO PRODUCE MULTI-COLOR EFFECTS. 